Adventure 2 - Rumble with the Cult

...The fight carried on.

We'd surprised the members of the cult by having Searos jump out and deliver a sound thumping on their leader. Dalhi let lose and arrow and the leader fell down unconcious, but still breathing.

Seeing the leader fall so easily we took heart and attacked the rest.
Having past experience with the gray robed, we focused on the red robed. Our warriors, Bruun, Old Mac, Skel and Sigorn all engaged. These men are monstrous powerful and they quickly dispatched the crimson robed. With each death an octomass surged out of the fallen's chest. This wouldn't be a problem except two of the masses attached themselves to the throat of Stostine's dog and to Kadelthin. For fear of hurting our friends we'll have to carefully kill those octomasses.
The gray robes began a dark and evil chant and from behind a tentacle appeared and whipped out and snatched Stostine in a strangling grip.
We'd lost Star to such a grip and so many went immediately to attack the tentacle, in the hopes of stunning it and dislodging Stostine. But it was to no avail. The slithering limb quickly healed from every slash it took.
Knowing the tentacle to be controlled by the cultists we knew they all had to die quickly.
Battlebeard knocked into one of the grays with both his shield and his weapon. Killing the first and knocking the dead body into a second. As a group, we were able to dispatched the last of them and deal with the following octomasses.
Stostine was freed. We'd killed ten cultists and not a single one of us had fallen during the fight.

But our relief was short lived.

Coming from the same tunnel was escorted a deep and dark thing. A monster of maybe twice the height of a man, a face like that of an owl's and the body of flailing tentacles. This spawn wasn't as big as the tentacles we have before faced, but it looked of the same ilk.
Accompanying it came a handful more crimson robed cultists and a few more cultists who still looked human.

Knowing we were set upon again, we all watched in amazement as Old Mac stabbed through the unconscious yellow robed cultist with his pitch fork then with a mighty surge of strength he lifted and threw the body thirty feet through the air. So powerful was the throw that in midair we saw the octomass spawn from it's chest and fall to the ground with a satisfying splat. The body fell upon the giant spawn beast, becoming impaled upon the owl beak.
With a bestial roar the monster opened it's mouth and the body ripped from the beak and fell to the floor.

Now with a short distance between us we all stand ready to fight for our lives.

Adventure 2 - Ghosts and Chains

After killing the basilisks we looked further on and we found our way back outside to the ledge again. Knowing that the giant tentacled monster is not constrained outside we decided it was best to go back inside and explore.

We climbed down the rope ladder that was strapped to the tentacle coming through the pit. About 10 minutes later we found another landing and so we all stepped off and took stock.

This room curved a bit out of sight and as we went to investigate we could tell the rock had been carved by people and here we found seven wooden caskets.

We've come to take advantage of Battlebeards ability to smell gold and so he walked right up to one of the caskets and shoved off the lid. Just as he pulled a golden medallion out from the casket and put it on, seven ghosts appeared from a wall and began to strike at us.

We tried to fight back. We swung swords, we lashed out at them with torches, we desecrated the bones and destroyed a coffin. The ghosts did nothing but keep striking at us.

Stostine called upon her God and compelled two of the ghosts to flee, but the other five quickly drained the energy from Sigorn and Kadelthin.

With two of our party crumpled to the floor and nothing, not even mithril weapons, able to touch the ghosts, and Stostine's incurred displeasure to her God, we knew nothing to do but run.

We fled the room.

Old Mac picked up Kadelthin and Skel picked up Sigorn and we fled the room.

The ghosts followed us but as we entered the tentacle room again the stopped in a line and stood mute and motionless.

Fearing another confrontation elsewhere we went back up the rope ladder and took a rest.

Stostine began to chant and seek her God's approval again. She chanted so long I think Battlebeard was about ready to chant curses along with her, such was his disdain of the prayer.

Kadelthin and Sigorn surprisingly wakened and began to regain their energy. We took some time to eat and rest up.

After the much needed respite we travelled back down the rope ladder, past the Ghost chamber and further down.

We found a room with a large grinding stone and slaves chained to the push rods, driving it around and around.

The slaves barely took note of us until we snapped off their chains. They looked entirely astonished to be freed and yet seemed to not know they'd been rescued.

We told them how to travel to get out of here. Just as we were explaining it and they disappeared, a group of cultists walked into the room upon us.

The shock of them seeing a group of armed adventurers was just enough time for Searos to sneak around them and attack the single Yellow Robed cultist. With a flurry, Searos beat upon the cultist with his billy club, hitting him so hard and so fast that he knocked the stout cultist to the ground. Knowing that peace was not our path, we all began to assault the figures. Just as someone attacked one of the three Crimson Robed cultists, the Yellow Robed stood again and slashed a wicked cut across Searos' chest. Dalhi let fly and arrow that struck the Yellow robed cultist and felled him again. A mighty foe that one. We must cautiously deal with him as we fight the remaining three Crimson robed and six Grey robed cultists.

Battle is joined and our fate is yet to be decided.

Adventure 2 - Such an Enchanting Cave

Battlebeard came back out of the tunnels and told us what he'd found. He was all cut up from some traps (good news, the traps are sprung and won't hurt us. Way to go Battlebeard). Mort and Battlebeard get along really well and so Mort lay his hands on Battlebeard and healed him.
We tried getting more information from our enthralled cultists but they claimed to be newly initiated into their order, so we know nothing of what is below.
We do know what it outside, a giant tentacle monster that can throw us from the ledges. We're going to avoid that and so we'll explore the tunnels.
We decided we didn't care if the cultists got hurt, so we sent them down the sliding shafts in the tunnels and they told us it opened up into a larger room and was very safe. So, we semi-fastened a rope in the tunnel and everyone climbed down.

The room opened up indeed, but a pick was in the middle and once we had all arrived a tentacle slowly extended itself out of the pit. Strangely, the tentacle, as huge and monstrous as it was, had a ladder fastened to it. The cultists told us this was for transportation. Most of us were wary, but Bruun was not afraid and he hopped on board.
The rest of us, seeing a hallway walked down it, away from the tentacle that kept stretching towards us, and found ourselves in a section of cave that wasn't carved by man. The stalactites and stalagmites formed everywhere and our torches cast eerie shadows everyone. Battlebeard moved to the front of the group and started leading the way deeper in so we all sort of followed him. After we were well inside this cave Battlebeard froze suddenly and then we heard a hissing noise.
Two large basilisks slithered down from above us and moved to attack Battlebeard and Skel in the front.

We didn't hesitate and we all began to attack. The clerics cast spells to make themselves more battle ready and others simply leaped in.
Searos used the chaos to creep behind the basilisk and leaped at it with a blow that the creature didn't see coming. He struck, from behind, at the creatures face, causing it to howl in agony and close it's eyes to protect them.
Merlin commanded the thralls to attack the injured basilisk but it's incredibly tough scaly hide left it uninjured. Many such blows landed ineffectually.
Then as one, both Skel and Sigorn turned on one of the creatures and both crashed their shields into the side of the head of it's head. The shields smashed into opposite sides of the head and both warriors unleashed savage blows with their longswords to devestating effect. The basilisk visibly jolted and a tremor ran through it's entire both. As it died it convulsed in savage movement. I asked the two about their teamwork and they said they'd been practicing this maneuver for some time and called it the "Bro Bash".
With one monster dead and one viciously wounded we were able to easily avoid getting hurt by it's wild and random flailing. Searos moved in to take advantage of the the creatures blindness and delivered another vicious cut with his dagger. Felling the wild beast in a second thrust.

With no one hurt, and Battlebeard recovering from his hypnosis, we saw, to our delight, that the creatures both had somewhat golden horns. We cut the horns from the bodies and stowed them inside battlebeards chest. Two golden horns, what amazingly valuable pieces those must be.

Adventure 2 - A Warm Welcome

We appeared standing at the top of a steep escarpment, looking down over the chasm.
We began climbing our way down and soon found ourselves on a narrow path along the edge.
Mist and shadow are all we can see before ourselves. Something is out there just beyond sight. As we continued we saw before us the very cult who is responsible for the girls disappearence. We moved to charge them but the very narrow ledge prevented us from rushing them and so a number of our strongest fighters formed a line and advanced on them.
That's when the magic began. The cultists began a chant and a monstrously large tentacle came shooting out of the mist and it grabbed Star. Quicker than a thought, Star was ripped from the ledge and thrown into the abyss. We never even heard him scream once. Doubtless the warriors didn't know anything of it happening until after the cultists were dispatched.
Our magicians cast clever spells and enthralled three of the cultists, forcing their will to our own. We used them to turn on the other cultists and they fought.
Searos knocked and let loose and arrow that took one of the mysterious chanters down. Where the arrow struck blackness sprouted. We thought it unholy blood, but then the glob turned and began to attack our warriors.
We fought on the narrow ledge, killing cultists and smashing octomasses.
Soon two were dead and we had three enthralled. We had them lead the way down and we continued along the narrow ledge, descending into darkness.
We came upon a door and we had our slaves push them open. Within we found a narrow hallway which we advanced down. Not to long later another cultists jumped from the shadow, plunging a dagger into one of the thrall's heart. We were so quickly taken by surprise that he was jumping at us before we could react.
Fighting in these narrow confines is moving to be a major hinderence.
Every time a cultist is struck down, no matter the hand doing it, an octomasse has spawned. We quickly dealt with the attacker and began exploring again.
Dalhi had a smart idea and began to converse with the thralls. The thralls revealed a secret passageway below the altar of one of the prayer rooms. We entered it and found 4 large egg like stones upon another altar. Sadly, the tunnel is very cramped and only Battlebeard was able to easily travel through the passage.
He came back out a while later with three large injuries to his body. Cuts, from traps he explained, along his body. He also told us of some dark passages that slipped downwards into darkness with slides so steep he feared he could not return the way he'd come if he descended.

So far no sign of the girls or any treasure.

P.S. The taint of the evil tree is still among us. A couple of the lads went to worship Malloc at the altar here. Luckily the evil god whose altar they used didn't object.

Adventure 2 - The Chasm and the Cult

Now that I know the men of my party better I shall give a list of them and their occupation.

Old Mac, a fearsome rutabaga farmer. His pitchfork caused some pious wounds.
Brünn - A woodcutter Opposoman turned warrior.
Battlebeard, A runty Dwarf warrior with an evil eye, maker of mediocre chests.
Sigorn, The weaver turned warrior.
Kadelthin, the Evil Elf with knowledge of forester lore.

Merlin, Malicious Maleficent Mage.

Stostine, the Pious Priest and his faithful herding hound.

Dalhi, The Sage Mage of Elvish gauge.

Skel, the warrior who digs graves for his enemies.

Biff, Fetid and Foul Opossuman Warrior.

Star, the Shaman who kept looking for his God in the sky. A righteous cleric.

Hagog, an Opossuman Warrior like biff, but neither fetid or foul.

Searos, the hunter turned thief.

Sea Salt, the crazed halfling mariner.

Mort, Vile Vicar, a Cleric Opossuman.

Rocky, A dwarven warrior who was always carving evil emblems into stones.

And so we ventured forth from the town again.

We went back to the old Oracle and she told us of an evil force that has been dormant for many years because of the ritual sacrifices of virgins. The villagers in the affected area grew capable and drove off the cult members. While trying to stop the sacrificing of their daughters they did drive off the cult, but not before many daughters were kidnapped.

Help is needed, and so we shall go. We all touched our hands to the sending stone and found ourselves transported to a deep and forbidding chasm.

Day 1 - Out of the Swamps and into our Hearth.

Tonight I'm resting easy. I'm in a room at the inn, looking forward to a good nights rest.

After we fought the crocadillo we decided it was time to get back to town. We walked up to the sending stone and we all placed our hands on it.
We found ourselves outside of town and near the oracles hut. We were making our way to town when she came out and told us that if we came this way again she'd tell us more about some virgin girls who had been kidnapped.

We made our way to the center of town and found someone to fence our treasures. And what treasures they were.
When we'd started our journey only Podrick had been wealthy, the rest of us had barely a handful of coppers each. Now that we returned with treasure we were each given 74 gold pieces and a little more than 30 silver.
Hungry for more wealth we all quickly bought up arms and armor, supplies, mules, and other such things as we needed, and even some things we didn't need. Old Mac had been pining for his lost chicken, and so he bought himself a few more, calling them "Battle Cocks". I'll be sure to enjoy their flesh when they inevitably die and we roast them up nice and tender.

A good nights rest and real weapons and armor and we're ready for anything.

The end of the Sunken City Adventure.